The present invention relates generally to watercraft, and more particularly to a wake control apparatus which may be retrofitted to an existing watercraft or provided as original equipment thereon for adjusting the trim of the watercraft to selectively raise or lower the level of the wake produced thereby when the watercraft is propelled within the water.
A water sport which is rapidly growing in popularity is "wake boarding". In wake boarding, a participant riding a device known as a wake board is pulled behind a watercraft such as a boat via a tow line in the same manner a water skier is pulled behind a boat. The participant maneuvers himself or herself laterally across the wake produced by the moving watercraft in a slalom-like fashion, with the passage of the wake board over the wake lifting the participant into the air and allowing for the performance of various flips or other tricks prior to the participant landing back onto the surface of the water. As will be recognized by the foregoing description of wake boarding, it is highly desirable to adjust the level of the wake produced by the boat or other watercraft depending upon the type of "lift" or "ramp" sought by the wake boarding participant. In this respect, the adjustment of the trim of the boat so as to cause the aft end to set lower within the water than the forward end when the boat is propelled increases the height of the wake produced thereby. Conversely, the adjustment of the trim of the boat so as to effectively lift the aft end to an orientation which is substantially level with the forward end when the boat is propelled reduces the level of the wake produced thereby. Though certain adjustments may be made to the trim of a boat including an outboard motor by changing the orientation of the propeller within the water, such trim adjustments are not easily obtainable with boats that include inboard motors. Additionally, the trim adjustment, and hence changes to the wake level and shape, which may be accomplished with boats including outboard motors is somewhat limited.
In recognition of the absence of structures on existing boats which are particularly adapted to selectively change the level and shape of the wake produced by the boat, Applicant developed the wake control apparatus described in its U.S. Pat. No. 5,860,384 (the "'384 patent"). The wake control apparatus described in the '384 patent may be retrofitted to an existing boat or other type of watercraft or provided as original equipment thereon, and is specifically adapted to allow the trim of the watercraft to be adjusted for purposes of selectively raising or lowering the level of the wake produced thereby. In the wake control apparatus described in the '384 patent, such trim adjustment is facilitated by rotating or pivoting a single elongate hydrofoil or a pair of hydrofoils about an axis which extends in generally perpendicular relation to the longitudinal axis of the watercraft (i.e., in generally parallel relation to the transom of a boat).
Though the wake control apparatus described in the '384 patent is effective for selectively adjusting the trim of the watercraft and hence the level and shape of the wake produced thereby, Applicant has determined that the performance attributes of such apparatus would be enhanced if a pair of hydrofoils were to be rotated about axes which are angularly offset (i.e., extend non-perpendicularly) relative to the longitudinal axis of the watercraft (i.e., in non-parallel relation to the transom of a boat). Though providing performance advantages over the wake control apparatus described in the '384 patent, the present invention also finds particular utility for use in relation to various water sports, and most notably wake boarding and water skiing wherein it is often desirable to raise or lower the level or modify the shape of the wake produced by the watercraft.